Pneumatic spring for vehicles.



N. 811,296 P ATENTED JA. 30, 1906 M. M. HOWLAND.

PNEUMATIC SPRING POR VEHICLES. APPLIUATION FILED Mun, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

d, "l Q K No. 811,296. .PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906, M. M. HWLAND.

PNEUMATIC SPRING FOR VEHIULES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYll, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ll/lllllllllllllfll M. HWLAND, Uli .PRQVIDENCE UNEH'ALF T0llfllil'Jli/lild W. DUNNELL, OF

eneniirin'lie einem@ Foi-i telecine..

RHODE ISLANJ, AliSlGNl-l 0F PROVll'lil NGE, RHODE IBLA ND.

no, eireee.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Jen. 3G, 1906..

Application filed llleyll, 1905. 4ueriel No. 259,969.

To rif/ZZ wlw/1t it 72Min,/ colmena:

`die it known that l, MATTHEW M. HOW- nirnt e citizen olz the UnitedStates, residing;r :it the city of Providence, in the county ofifrovidf-i ice end lltnte of Ithode lsla/nd, lieve inten certain nonYund useful improvements in llnenmntic Springs for Vehicles, lol" which.the following is n specification, reference heini; had therein to theaccompanying dro-w in This invention rehites to the combinationolnneinniitir. cushions end inetel springs used es e ineens forsupporting the body oi' e vehiele from its @ne object of my theexpensive :ind obj ectioneble necessity of using pneumatic tiresonherirvy vehicles, suoli as automobiles andthe like, as such tires erecontiinizilly Wearing out, becoming` punc tured or leaking from othercauses, :ind be comingl dellated, Which, to say the leest, isenceedingly annoying, :is well as eximnsive.

vliy the use of my in'iproved device :ill the ense sind comfort flesired may he obtained hy having solid rubber tires on the wheels sindnsiilg thc-sinne in combination with my epe-- eiel ineens or limitingthe vehicle-body on cushions oll air', which cushions when used .incombination with steel supporting-springs eheorh ell of' the shocks andjars received iii-oni the rond-hed before they refieh the ocen paints oithe vehicle. y

The arrangement oi' my mechanism `not Y only :ig'iplicoble toautomobiles, motor-r les, mid ell se]i-propelhng Vehicles, carriagesdrown hy horses, bicycles, :ind the like, lint it is'elso well adoptedund inn-y he used on rnilroiid-coaches or :my other-'vehicle to ubsorbthe theel-:s and jars ol" the wheels possu ing over the rond-bed, undthereby ndding' greatly to the ronii'ortmol the pnssingers, as Woll esto relieving; the driving merhiinism ol' the weer :md teer d ne to suchshocks enel jms.

This inwntion provides ai simple, easy, :ind i el'l'rctivomethod l'orusing pneumatic enshionsolilhrr lbain lires in conjunction withinvention is to obviate'- ordinery motel spi'ingifs to redure or absorbthe slnirhs end vibrations sustained by e, ve lnele when in motion. Toaccomplish this in iipi'eetienl nninner, il; necessary thatl the"rii'iiiiing-,irzii should be :ittnrhed to thebody el the vehicle insuch ai wey es to give :ill the rigidity needed to withstand seva-arelongitudiiuil ond lateral strziins und et the sinne time to allowperfect freedom oi vertical inotion Lo l l i l is represented in the:icoonipenying il To I have provided e set or links, which may be hingedor otherwise flexibly coi'inected to the body of the vehicle. Theselinks may he conneeted et each side ol the body With the springs insuoli e wey es to allow for the ci@ Apension of seid springs when 'underpressure. Pneumatic cushions ere .interposed between the runiiinggenrend. the body of the 'vehicle 4end operatively connected to the sindyielding members in such manner its to prevent longitudinal and lateralmotiim. By opera-- tively connected I ineen so connected es to allowseid rcushions to perform all the fnnctions for which intended, eventhough the necessities ol construction might require the comieetion tobeindirect-sueh, oi'exelnple, as the form illustrated in Fig. /lof thedrew ings. needed, transverse yielding members or links may also beconnected with. the longitudinal links, thereby giving them greetstability' and et the same time allowing all the freedom of motionnecessliry.. lf desired, the seid yieldn ing members or links inn-y becomposed of sew eriil parts oined together lifter the nienner of tongsto give both the rigidity sind flexibility needed. ln :ill cases thereere a` veriety ci" positions in which the pneninntic cushions een beplaced so that the nres'euri'i olE thelond muy be transmitted throughthem to the springs, or the pressure may be tiiinsniitted through thesprings to the eusl1ionsii` desired, .in which latter ense the cushionswould he be neo th the sprl' nl.; und nearest the nxles oi :i vehicle.One advantage of this construction is thu-t, while the l ody rests uponthe cushions when inflated, ill for any reason 'the cushions` hei-omedei'hitcd the body will then merely settle :i short distance and hecarried securely by the springs ivithont the interposi- Lion ol thepneumatic rusl'iion.

The' invention consists of other novel lem tures und ports :indeonibinntions ol' the seine, as willhe fully described hereinafter endthen pointed out in the lnmended chiiins.

A practical embodiment of the invention rowings, forming ai part oifthis specificotion, in which similar rlniriieters olE referenceindieetecorrespending parte in ull l he views.

In the drimi nos, Figure l represents the side elevation ol' ai portionol" the .freine of e Veliicle, showing one errinigeinent et the ,pnew

`To secure additional rigidity, if it is 2 is e. 'irontelevetion o'i eveiicle, showing en other View of the arrangement of mechanism end manneroi su porting the cushions illustreted in Fig. AEig. 3 illustrates theyielding vyielding members 7 7.

members es composed oi' severslpsrts and joined'together after t emanner oi tongs or shears, f Fig. 4 is e 'front eievntion of theinechenisin shown in Fig. Fig. 5 is e inediicetion or'sinipiiied 'forniof the yielding members, pneumatic cushion, and metal spring in positionto support ey Vehicle-body the eide. Fig. 6 shows the side elevetion ofa. Vehicle in outline end represents the body'portion resting on thenietui springs 3 end. ssi-id springs inturnes being supported onpneumatic-cushions 12 12 through the Fig. 7 shows i1. modi.- ficetioniliustreting another arrangement of arts whereby the pneumatic cushionsmayl e placed-between the springs end the exles" Referring to thedrawings, et i. 1 are the vehicle-wheels, which in the ense ofnutomobiles are preferablyequipped withV solid rubber tires.' At 2 isthe side on which thei Wheels ere mounted.

, end boitsl.

fi siinpie construction illustrating the prin"` ci le oi'iny inventionis shown in 1, in Wnich is represented en ordine-ry steei bowspring 3,supported on Vthe eide end connected thereto in the usuel wey with stres At 5 is the freine of the vehic e, to the under' side or which isbolted the bracket' 6. At 7 7 ere two members or links,

' each pivote'd 'et one end 2D 2O to seid .is placed e pneumatic cushion12 l2.

bracket, one member extending forward end one extending beckwerd toweidthe ends ot' the vehicle.I lhs tree end of each ot these pivoted members-is supported on and connected with one end ot the spring 3, whichconnection may be inode in any usuel or convenient manner to accommodatethe elongation of thisspring when compressed. ThesemembersI thus hingedand supported are, adapted to swingend yield with the Vertical movementsof the freine or b'ody of the vehiclel.y To further support or brace thefree ends of these yielding members, transverse links 9 9 have beenprovided end ere hinged et 10-10 et one end end loosely connected et'their opposite ends l1 1.1 to the i'ree ends of seid yie d ing members7 7, thereby bre'cing seid members effeinst latere-l strains end at thesainetinie allowing e perfect 'freedom of verticel motion to the body ofthe vehicle within the desired limits.

Between the freine ci the 'vehicle end the Jfree ends of each of theyielding members, 7 7 These cushions may be supported in any suitablemanner; bist/ have shown saucer-sloped plates 13, 13 both shove andbeloiw the seme einen@ pair of tongs. Cross-bers i5 i5 (see Fig. elextend across the Vehicle from one pair of springs to the other end ere.supported on suitable hangers lo. held the pneumatic eushions i7 17.tiist snp port the weight of the forwerd end ci Y hicle, end a similarset may be arranged for this 'resi' end nlso.

Fig. oillustrotes e 'simple forni of the de vice in which the yieldingmembers mede short and extend outward each y yond'the ends of thebow-spring 3, 'te l spring they are connected, the outer end of eachmember being hinged to the body ofthe vehicle through the brackets l?18.

inst 1"o 0n these cross-bers ere f tion 5 andere piyoted together et ifito worielilie e,

My invention is not restricted to pren v oise construction andarrangement of parte Y herein shown end describeihvnoii to the -Veri ousdetsil/s thereof, es the seine tney noodi# fied or rearranged in Variousparticuliers without departing from the spirit scope ci" my ions than re'Hired in t Le tires'I i' nsort the 1Weight, en thus these ouslnonlstwibe incre sensitive to ors and shocks ,then where the pressure ils/ed isineny tunes greete:

Another etnre of the inventionis that bev fore a. c/uslrion een beeornpressedto the lirsting-point the bodyl will rest on the solid portsconnecting with the sprin s, Y -1 One essentici advantage `of tjrsdevlce is that it can beiittedhto e greet Variety of yeliicles withoutmelting any redieei change in their forms. :in place of the hingedeonnec- Ytions it is possible in seine sise iiI` it springs too week totransmit n jenbtit seme time giving rigidity. in Vthe direc-ons needed.This arrangement may be nsednn any light-running yvehicle .and insupportni lieseddie of o bicycle, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, Whitt l cisim es new, end desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, isf* f i I l. An impro ement in vehiclescomprising e vehicle-body, runninggeer thereformcludingisprings,pneumatic cushions, yieldsbie iesns engaging seid cushions ondconnecting seid body with seid rnnninggeer to ,prevent ICN metioouofxons amd, epi-loge interposed,

ebb-3 meollo opeimflweiy oomleei'ed 'ho seid el, biens ,to pibevemongltudim emi iefaelel motion ofee'd body on eo'c ouebione,

fm1mlolovemem iro. Vehicles eompreiug meziobere euppovl by bodily' emilime/1 posed between sam L omge end :seid bofgy and pneumeo ousbioneinterposed boilwaeon. seid pvoted lembero and seid body@ Ao imlfowr'emenin in Veloee eompriei'qg.; v ebony, 1'unnuggem 'tbc/refe?,springe eerbied by Seid Tunning-@@5113 p'v'otof memff dem eol'ppoeo by!bebo/een seid epmi gw'leumete m hco'm merjooeeo between i memoebo amifmmpro'oemeo in eolplengg; e, el'moebody, mnoinggem bbeiefo'b? @newinterposed be tween seid. lunminggeer eed. Seid body, end. Inembeifepivobed one end to seid body und 11m/ing tbeizai' free ende oomeobed toseid. 'o prnge, seid meimere being opera-tively (sonu booted. with. eorcushions, whereby' .etem emi olegtudiroe piep* of seid body Weu gs andsmid body, on@ omo.

menlbers euprorted by seid body emi intermoton on. @beV posed betweenseid springs und seid. body to :prenant` longitudinal ploy of the parte,pneuW metio cushions interposed between seid pv oted 'members end. seidVehicle-body, and eoonected to seid 'pivoted members to Women.: lenerolphy on 'the erts. l

' l improvemeu in velbolee eomploing e elebody, spyingo therefor,depending bommie: owned b ermibodh'f members: 1V-

@i5-elly .xtooullted im; one emol in said bljeolets.

eed knowing be free ends oolmeebed to mid swings, end pm-nmm'lo cushionsinterposed Y seid female-body and the 'Too exode .membeo of om M?..Animprovement in vehicles compris? Img o vehicle-body, runni11ggeerthereiol', en Jemotie 'eLs-:oom and, springs nterpoeed Ween seidrunning-gear end body, depend- L; g broeken; carried by seid body,members pmomy Supported et one end in seid breek mod beving bel ee endoconnected to eef sspwililge? smid members being operetvey mmnoeeted withseid; ousbone, enoV ineens eomeozec to the free oude of oem' pvoised..ofaom'b em to peo-wem; etezrel ploy' of the parte. 1.1; In o vehicle,be eombumaon with the Voiofebody, metal spx'n e, menno fox suppolbbiaggseid. springe from t' e xlmninggeofw of tbe Vebioe, yielding; membeehinged ein one ood. to sebi body end. oomeoted oft their ogg hinged 'loeeic Vebleliebody end oonueoteli et their oppooile exode u di seid. op.x'ugemeens for eugjpoflo; tbe :yielding erode 'i2 seid mem" bereegoinet eizem onreine, and @mummia oisbione interposed between saidmembers en@ weblink-buoy M testimony whereof ex. my im preeemoe of twowbbeesee, o

MAWHE/V M. HUJVLl-SLND. @Witnesses 1 woWAuo E. BARLOW, E. I.")oDEN

